BPE, Vigeo defend integrity of bid for PHCN companies

The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) yesterday denied that the process for the sale of the Power Holding Company of Nigerian (PHCN) firms was flawed.

Head of Public Communication of BPE, Chukwuma Nwokoh, said yesterday. “The accusation of a flawed process and irregularities against the BPE in the privatisation of PHCN distribution companies by the governors are unfounded and reckless.

“Our process was transparent and we were guided by the provisions of the request of proposals for the transaction” he said.

Vigeo Power also said the consortium comprises companies with a track record of successful performance.

It said Global Utilities Management Company (GUMCO), which is its local technical partner, has been involved in virtually all the Public Private Partnership initiatives in the Distribution Sub sector, starting from Revenue Cycle Management, an outsourced Management Contract in which the company participated and ran Shomolu, Ikorodu and Ojodu Districts of Ikeja Disco between 2002 and 2007.

The company responded through a statement by Mr. Abu Ajoor, the CEO of GUMCO.

“In 2006, GUMCO under the National Prepaid Metering Programme, introduced Prepaid metering and billing to Benin Electricity Distribution Company. It started from Benin City and extended its operations to Warri, Asaba, Ondo and Ekiti. Today GUMCO has presence in all the four states in Benin DisCo, helping the PHCN in the management of its commercial operations including vending management. What the company does it to bring management and investment into improving the billing and collection of discos.

“We have also installed over 200,000 pre-paid meters in the Benin zone and we are still there managing the process, thus making us the only experienced local player.

“Of all the companies that bided, only Vigeo Power has local experience in Utility Management through Its local partner GUMCO.

“The Foreign technical partners are the success of the Delhi Model in the Consortium .

We believe in the transparency of the process of BPE, the integrity of the members of the bid process and the trust the president has in them to have given them this herculean task.

“It is wrong for anybody to allege that we don’t have the experience to run distribution companies.”